Insight into SSSC Register data

We’ve published data on the SSSC Register for the first time, providing details of the number of registered workers and how many have a qualification condition to meet.

Some of the key points from the data are:

there are 23 separate registration categories with over 158,000 registrations from more than 127,000 individuals (some people are on more than one Register part)

this is equivalent to approximately 63% of everyone working in the social service sector

a further 30,000 to 40,000 people are expected to join the Register over the next 18 months

the registration data is live and updated daily, unlike our annual workforce data which provides a snapshot of the workforce from each December

55% of registered workers have achieved the required qualification(s) with the remaining 45% having a qualification condition.

Part of the role of our Workforce Intelligence team is to answer requests for more detailed information on sections of the workforce. We’ve had a range of requests for information on the number of people registered with the SSSC including the numbers who have or have not achieved the necessary qualification for registration. These requests have mainly been from public bodies, including Scottish Government and Audit Scotland, who use the information, for example, to plan and examine the expansion of day care of children’s services.

We think information on the numbers registered and how many have to achieve qualifications will be of interest and useful to other stakeholders too, including employers, training providers and planners in other areas. For example, while employers have access to registration data on their own staff via MySSSC, they cannot see how their own workforce compares with the rest of the register. The data we’ve published allows them to see how their workforce compares in terms of qualification conditions.

For training providers and training funders we believe the information is of value as the data on qualification conditions indicates the numbers of people in social services who need to be qualified. We published some analysis of the demand arising from SSSC registration in our recent SSSC SVQ report.

We also believe that this data will be of value to planners in integrated services to provide background information on the scale and demand for training in registered care services.

This is the first of what will be a quarterly publication of SSSC Register data. In the coming year we will also be looking at publishing analyses of the workforce using registration data.